


A Little While

by Indehed



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alpha Steve McGarrett, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Danny "Danno" Williams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 21:42:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17271641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indehed/pseuds/Indehed
Summary: 10 years ago Danny spent his heat with an alpha whose name he couldn't remember. He knew the man was military on leave and that he'd never see him again. How was he to know what would happen next?As McGarrett hung up with the Governor, effectively stealing Danny's case from under him (typical alpha behavior... probably pissed at having an omega cop put on the case like the backward Neanderthal the military had turned him into) he grabbed his old and stained toolbox and turned once more to Danny."Do I know you from somewhere?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I found this fic on my harddrive. I think I had a huge amount planned for it but when I read it back it seemed like it was 95% done. So I've decided to work on it again and post it. Think of it as one of my fic amnesties!

It had been his own fault, really. He'd been kept busy at work and with the stress of everything with Peterson's trial and his detective's exams, his suppressants had gone haywire and he'd missed dosages, so when he felt the telltale signs of heat beginning inside of himself, he didn't know what to do. He had a girlfriend, but she wouldn't be able to help like he needed... she was a beta. And what he felt, it was like a craving. He needed an alpha male.

After speaking with his new partner, she had recommended a place in New York where he wouldn't be known and he'd be able to hook up and get what he needed. It was reputable, used by law enforcement, military, even CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, so he knew it would be safe and there would be little worry about it getting out. He'd booked a few days off work and made excuses with his girlfriend and taken the train to the city.

He spent the weekend with an alpha whose name he couldn't remember after a while (he blamed the hormones). He did remember that he was military on leave, but that couldn't really matter much as he never expected to see him again. How was he to know what would happen next? That either of them could be so stupid?

When he'd fallen pregnant, he hadn't known what to do. 

He'd contemplated terminating it so that no one would be any the wiser and his career could continue to progress as it had, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd always wanted to be a father. With Rachel, he'd expected she would carry by using a surrogate. So when he was the one to get knocked up, he didn't want to get rid of it.

They'd discussed it, argued about it, almost broken up over it, but eventually, they'd decided to stay together. Danny had blamed the heat for his infidelity, Rachel had forgiven him and knowing the expense of using a surrogate and the turkey baster method, this was the best way they were going to do it anyhow.

Things had gone so well after that they'd even married and Danny made the gesture of putting Rachel's name on Grace's birth certificate as the second parent.

But no matter what, there was always that underlying problem - that Grace wasn't actually Rachel's. That Danny had cheated on her (and paid for it) while under his heat and there was a trust there that was never regained despite her forgiveness. 

And while he was pregnant, just into his second trimester, 9/11 had happened and though he'd not been directly involved, on that same day he'd suffered the loss of his partner and almost lost the baby by being in the field when he probably should have been riding a desk. It had hit home to Rachel how dangerous Danny's job was. He was stubborn about continuing with it after the baby was born, and that never sat well with her.

When they'd divorced, the bitter part of Danny had regretted putting Rachel's name on the birth certificate, but he also couldn't argue that she was a good mother to Grace and loved her dearly. It also wasn't her fault that he had a crappy lawyer who had lost Danny full custody and now was on shared with Rachel. Which made things difficult when they were back in court over Rachel's decision to move to Hawaii. The judge had ruled in her favor again - she was in a steady job and married into a family with a lot of money and no one could fault her as a mother - and she was listed as the second on the birth certificate. Danny was single and an omega working in law enforcement who had no clue who it was who'd truly knocked him up in the first place. He couldn't provide as much as Rachel. 

Not long after, he found himself on a plane to the other side of the country, to a State he'd never been to before and hadn't any desire to go to. But he was following his little girl and he'd follow her anywhere.

He'd found working with HPD... difficult. For being a more 'open-minded' State, there was still plenty of stigmas to attach to Danny - he was from the mainland, he was white, he was an omega on the Force and he didn't have the most welcoming of personalities at the best of times. It had made him a bit of an outcast.

The last thing he expected was to be given a high profile case of a cop murder. But when he read the file he realized it didn't so much need solving - they already knew who the killer was, they just had to find him before he could leave the Island.

The McGarrett house held a familiarity he couldn't put his finger on. It was one of the reasons he returned to the scene after it had been processed, thinking it was just his mind trying to tell him there was something there he had missed and needed to look at again. He hadn't expected to run into the man's son in the garage. Nor had he expected the alpha to hold a gun on him and for there to be some kind of standoff. 

As McGarrett hung up with the Governor, effectively stealing Danny's case from under him (typical alpha behavior... probably pissed at having an omega cop put on the case like the backward Neanderthal the military had turned him into) he grabbed his old and stained toolbox and turned once more to Danny. 

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Not that I know of," Danny white lied. Sure, he'd felt some spike of that familiarity when he talked with the guy but that didn't mean anything. 

"What high school did you go to?"

"One in New Jersey. So unless you were brought up there, which I know you weren't because John McGarrett lived here pretty much all his life, then we didn't go to school together. Are you done taking over here? Can I get on with my job? Preferably elsewhere."

"Yeah, you can do what you want," Steve answered off-handedly, attention back on the toolbox and everything else around him. 

It was when Danny walked by him, getting a much better read on the other man that it hit him. He knew the smell, remembered it from a distant memory but also knew something like it every day of his life. 

He practically raced back to his car, not letting on to McGarrett that anything was wrong. 

He took a moment to breathe. At first, completely determined to think himself insane. It was impossible. There was just no way. 

But McGarrett was military. And he had the same build… height, hair. Not that Danny could truly remember the sound of his voice but there was something in that too and just... something in his mind shifted and he could hear McGarrett's voice introducing himself as 'Steve' in a far-flung memory and...

Holy fuck.

It was the guy who'd knocked him up. 

It was Grace's _father_.


	2. Chapter 2

He hadn't been sure whether Steve had come to see him later because Danny genuinely had been doing a decent job on the case and could provide Steve with information, or whether he had been following up on that familiarity and was trying to work out exactly what that was.

Either way, neither man alluded to it, nor asked again about anywhere they might know each other from and the case continued with Danny holding back his fear that Steve would ask a question - any question - and something would let slip over what he truly was to Danny. That was why he'd avoided talking about Grace as much as possible, not wanting anything to get out.

He had surprised himself when he'd explained her nickname to Steve. But then, they were about to head into a dangerous situation and he wasn't thinking as clearly as usual.

At the end of the case, despite them beginning some kind of rapport, Danny struggled to accept the generous gift from Steve. Had the alpha some inkling? After all, the gift was Grace-related. To let her have some fun and enjoy her time with her father outside of the apartment he had to which Steve had taken an instant dislike. But where Danny lived wasn't a problem the alpha should need to care about. Danny did not belong to him.

But his main issue was that he was standing in an office that was now his. He'd been swept along in the creation of the task force and only now, standing with tickets in an envelope and Steve with his arm in a sling smiling at him, did it really hit him that somehow he'd been signed up to work with the guy on a more permanent basis. Which was difficult.

If he worked with Steve, how long could he hide Grace from him? And should he even be thinking like that?

It was a bad idea to stay, but he wasn't enjoying working at HPD and this new task force was going to pay more. That was money he could use to get a better place to live and to save for trips home as well as in providing for Grace. It was something no sane person would turn down. If he did, then he'd need to explain himself... catch 22.

There was no way to win the argument with himself and no way out of it except to further the delay as much as possible while he tried to quell any panic that might arise from his thoughts of what Steve would do when he found out.

He had come to terms with the fact that Steve was Grace's father. He could see something of him in their pup, and those were traits of her he was proud of. In an ideal world, Grace would get to know her biological father and things would work out, but this wasn't an ideal world. Danny's problem was that Steve was a Navy SEAL and could be called away on a mission or killed and then where would Grace be and so soon after meeting him. And he was one of those alphas - protective, sure but with an edge of possessiveness and control. A my-way-or-the-highway alpha. As liberal as Steve might truly be, he couldn't deny his instincts and those had been honed by the military and would be difficult to break. The last thing Danny needed was an alpha to swoop in and try to take over how Grace was being raised. He had been doing a perfectly fine job this last year on his own when he had Grace, and she already had Rachel and now Stan. Bringing in someone else new right now was probably not a good idea. Especially an alpha. Even more so - an alpha like Steve.

And to be honest with himself, no matter if he HAD come to terms with the fact he'd re-met Grace's father - he wasn't ready for anything more in their lives to change. Not just Grace's but his own. Considering he was to be working with Steve, to have him as a work partner and to be raising a child together would just be a complication too far.

No. It was best to keep quiet.

*

There was talk of a football game. High school level and the same school both Chin and Steve had attended. Danny hadn't made any commitment either way (though Steve somehow seemed to be assuming he'd be there) and then his attention was fully brought back to the conversation.

"You should bring Grace. It would be good to get to know your pup.”

"Sorry, what?" Danny asked, stumped a little and delaying his response.

"Grace. Bring her, too. I know you have her this weekend," Steve said.

"I do, but I- I dunno. We already had other plans."

"What kind of plans?"

"Uh, movie type plans," Danny spat out quickly, making things up as he went along.

"Well, she can see a movie any time. This is a championship game and only happens once a year if we're lucky to get this far. And besides, doesn't she want to meet the people you work with?" Steve asked, with a kind of hopeful look on his face. He knew Danny was proud of his daughter and Danny had already seen right through Steve and worked out just how much he was trying to build a family with his task force, it made sense that he might want to extend the family to those related to his team members.

"I don't know, meeting you all at once...? It might make her nervous," Danny tried but Steve squinted at him. 

"It seems to me that you're the one who's nervous. Why would you hide her away?"

"I'm not hiding her," Danny said back, not quite making eye contact since he knew he was lying through his teeth -  he was very aware of the fact that Steve was right. He had no choice but to give them something in excuse and honesty of a kind would be best. Remembering lies was the difficult part down the road. No, he needed to give them the truth but... vaguely. "Look, there's been a lot of upheaval in her life. In both our lives. We're getting settled into how things are right now and I'd like to just keep things on that level for a while, okay?" He finally met Steve's eyes with a pleading look, aware of the others nearby but knowing Steve was taking control as the alpha of their group and his answer would measure how the team responded.

He put his hand on Danny's shoulder. "Okay, just... if you're not ready then you're not ready. Maybe next time."

"Thanks," Danny gave a small smile as Steve squeezed his shoulder, taking his time letting go.

He was eternally thankful that he'd been in a movie theater with his little girl when he got the phone call from Steve that there had been a shooting at the game. But it also reminded him that he couldn't keep his secret forever.

*

There had been other possible 'next times'. Steve had taken to asking about Grace often, keeping track of when she was with Danny to make sure he wasn't disturbed in his daddy-daughter time, though occasionally a case would come up and Steve needed Danny to work.

But it wasn't just about Grace. The more they got to know each other, the more Danny found Steve to be inserting himself into his life. Or trying to. Steve spent time in Danny's office frequently, they went to lunch together more often than not (with Steve showing an inordinate amount of interest in what Danny ate) and he invited Danny over to his house for beers, pizza, games... hell, even tried to tempt him over with his private beach but Danny hated beaches and it hadn't worked. 

Steve touched him a lot. That was something he noticed more and more. Hands on his shoulder, a guiding touch on his lower back, the odd elbow to his ribs and it was all done knowingly. Markedly. Yes. Danny had definitely noticed it in that way. It didn't seem casual, it seemed like marking. Steve saw Danny as his territory, it just confused Danny as to what kind of territory he considered him to be. Was it because they were partners at work or something more?

After Meka was killed, Steve seemed even more attached to Danny. Perhaps it was the arguments Meka's death and sullied reputation had brought forth between them. It seemed like jealousy at first to Danny, eventually he figured it was just Steve learning to trust Danny's instincts more. Instincts he should have trusted shortly after when Steve's old friend had turned on them (and Danny hadn't liked the guy from the get-go). Six months into their partnership and something seemed to have shifted further than friendship. 

Trust was their big issue - the fact that not only was it there but it was implicit and in every aspect of their lives. Steve didn't trust easily but once he did it was with his whole being. Danny was acutely wary of most everyone who entered his life, always had his heckles raised considering he felt he had more to prove as an omega, but Steve had quickly proven himself to be firmly on Danny's side and at his back.

It all added up to them being _**more**_. It also gave Danny a huge guilt complex over Grace.

He was also suspicious. Steve had never mentioned remembering Danny. In fact, he'd been normal, getting to know Danny like anybody would. 

Danny still saw flashes in his mind of Steve naked and found it difficult to focus when Steve took his shirt off at work, assaulted by the memories as he was, but Steve didn't seem to be making the same connections in return. It was only for those reasons that it made Danny loathe to introduce him to Grace, even though he wasn't stupid - he knew hiding Grace was wrong, he knew Steve deserved to know he had a pup of his own and to get to know her. Steve was a good person it was just... Danny had no idea what Steve's reaction would be and it scared him. He could read Steve so well, but the man was terrible with kids; awkward. And he seemed to intimidate them. 

Not that Grace was easily intimidated. She was a very strong omega. She could take on Steve and win, Danny knew that, but there was that small percentage of a chance that Steve could break Grace's heart and it held him back from being open and honest. 

And the longer they went without Danny admitting everything, the more difficult it got. The more convoluted everything became and the harder it was going to be when Steve learned the truth. His earlier fears seemed unfounded the more they worked together because Steve was softening with kids, with victims and witnesses. He was devoted to his job and settling into taking care of the Ohana and it seemed unlikely he would choose to leave. He cared. He could be a great father.

The problem now was that the lie had gone on so long, Danny didn't know how Steve would react to the news. And that was the scary part. 

But he also knew he had to do it sooner rather than later and he had to control how it happened, this couldn't be some accidental thing or Steve would never understand.  Which is why he finally took Steve up on his offer for swimming at his house for Grace.

He didn't tell Grace they were going there for anything in particular - he couldn't risk her disappointment. Instead, he simply told her he wanted her to meet someone who was very important.

For once he rang the doorbell and waited. It took long moments and he had to ring again before Steve came to the door, confused but with a smile on his face. "Hey, you should have just come in."

"We didn't want to be impolite," Danny answered, a hand on each of Grace's shoulders protectively as she looked up with big eyes at Steve. Danny could feel his heart beating so hard he thought it would burst through his skin. He took a breath. "This is Grace."

"Nice to meet you, Grace, your dad- he-" Steve said to the little girl as he bent to her level. He cleared his throat, instantly knowing. "Yeah, he talks about you a lot."

"Grace, this is Steve. I work with him."

"Hi," she answered with a small wave. 

"Grace is-?" Steve asked, frowning harder than Danny would have thought possible. He was probably second-guessing himself and then not wanting to because he was actually right but didn't understand... 

Danny handed Grace his car keys. "Monkey, go get the bag from the back seat for me, okay?"

She nodded and walked back the way they'd come and Danny turned to Steve quickly, who was back on his feet, a heavy, confused frown on his face. 

"Before you get mad just hear me out," Danny said, arms up in defense.

"I-" Steve began then stopped. Danny wasn't sure if he was giving the omega his chance or whether he was just in shock. 

"Okay, listen, you're not wrong, okay? It's complicated but… we did meet once before, I barely remembered who you were at first so I know you didn't really remember me either and I didn't know what to do-"

"I did remember you," Steve interrupted, his voice breathy. "It took me a couple of hours but I worked it out. I thought you didn't remember, because of the heat and you know… I was waiting, trying not to... rush you."

"Right," Danny said, flatly. This was making sense but also not at the same time. Only hours? He shook his head of the thoughts, of the need to reconcile that new information with everything Steve had said and done since that first case. Instead, he continued on with the well rehearsed and yet completely off the top of his head speech. "She's yours and I know you hate me for keeping this from you but I didn't know how to tell you and then everything snowballed and got more difficult and I couldn't take it anymore, you have a right to know that you- that you…"

"I have a daughter," Steve said, like the thought might be sinking in; saying it out loud and letting himself hear it. "She's beautiful, Danny."

"Yeah, she is," Danny looked at their little girl coming back over, struggling a little with holding the bag above the ground as she carried it.

He took a few steps over to meet her and took the bag to set it down by the door and he decided to go to one knee to be closer to her. 

"Monkey, do you recognize Steve?"

She frowned up at the man in question, squinting a little before shaking her head at Danny. "His smell is on your clothes sometimes," she said. "I like it. I recognize that. It's always strong."

"There's a reason for that, Grace. You see, Steve is more than just someone I work with, more than just my alpha boss I complain about. He's more important than that to both of us."

"What do you mean?" Grace asked him.

"Grace," Steve joined Danny down closer to her and pointed a hand at himself. "I'm your father."

"My real one?" she asked Danny. The innocence of her eight-year-old brain was taking this in stride a lot better than either of the adults beside her.

"I just told him, Grace," Danny warned her. "He had no idea, and he's been away with the Navy for a long time and I couldn't get in contact with him, remember?" He never really wanted her to know that he'd had absolutely no idea who her father was. It wasn't until last year and the court battles that she'd learned Rachel hadn't really been involved in her conception, but she'd been too young to understand exactly how Danny had become pregnant with her - she still was. Danny had told her about her sire being an alpha in the military and working in another country out of contact. That was all he'd known himself. He'd also promised her that if he did manage to get in contact, then he'd tell her. Which, he figured, he was fulfilling now.

"If I'd known, I'd have been to meet you a lot sooner," Steve told her and it made Danny feel guilty, even if Steve hadn't meant it that way. "And I hope you're excited to meet me and get to know me, just like I'm excited to get to know you."

Danny had never seen Steve nervous but he was seeing it now and it was somehow endearing. He couldn't help but smile at the connection that was happening between father and daughter. When Grace leaped forward and into Steve's arms, the man's eyes had widened in surprise and he'd almost been knocked backward, but after a moment he wrapped his arms around Grace and lifted her up into the air with him as he then walked into the house with her still held in his arms. 

She looked over her shoulder at her dad. "Danno, can I spend some time with him?"

"Sure, monkey. Why don't you and Steve go and talk? I'll wait here," he said, fingers idly playing with the back of the leather armchair. Steve turned to give him a smile and then put Grace down, reaching his hand out for her to take and they walked into the back garden together. Danny could see them sitting on the step outside but he valiantly held back from listening in, giving them their time together. 

He was nervous. He didn't know what to expect from this. He'd noticed over the last few months that he recognized more of the similarities between the two, and not just that Grace had Steve's nose and darker features, but her love of swimming and running, her attitude to right and wrong (though that was heavily influenced by Danny as well), the way she did her homework with unbreakable focus on the things she enjoyed and a resigned disdain for the subjects she didn't. And then there was her questionable taste in food sometimes...

But the big question wasn't about how the two would get along. Grace was bound to love Steve and he knew Steve would instantly want to protect Grace. No, the big question was about where they would go from here and just how much Steve hated Danny for keeping this from him. So far Steve hadn't said anything, but that could be him holding back because there was an 8-year-old present. He was military, he'd been trained to adapt to the unexpected and was likely just relying on getting through until he could process things.

Danny sat, twirling the remote in his fingers while sitting on the couch with the TV on a 24-hour news cycle only half paying attention when the door to the lanai swung open and Grace came bounding back in. He checked the time at the bottom of the TV screen to see she and Steve had been outside for an hour together.

She started to tear into the bag Danny had brought. 

"What are you looking for, monkey?"

"Paper and pencils. Dad said I could do some coloring while you helped him make sandwiches."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Danny asked as he stood, a warmth pooling in his stomach to hear Grace refer to Steve as 'dad'. He ruffled her hair as he passed, perching as she was on the end of the armchair and already giving her attention to what she might draw.

He eased his way into the kitchen to find Steve already pulling out the cutting board and opening the bread. He looked around them, aware of the open plan house and how difficult it would be to have a proper conversation with Grace still so close by. 

"Why don't you sit down?" Steve said, only barely glancing behind himself to where Danny was. 

"Okay," Danny drew out as he carefully sat down, keeping Steve in his line of sight. 

Steve abandoned what he'd been doing and pulled another chair out and sat at an angle to Danny. He was just about to start speaking when Danny did instead.

"I know you're mad at me-"

"I'm not mad at you," Steve interrupted him

"You have to be mad at me. I hid Grace from you," Danny supplied.

"I understand how difficult it must have been for you to tell me all this, especially if you thought I had no idea who we really were to each other. I don't blame you for waiting to get to know me better before dropping the bombshell, okay?"

"You're being very understanding about this."

"It's not like I came to you and laid it all out. 'Hey, remember me, I'm the guy who you spent a heat with about ten years ago'. I wasn't sure how to. The fact that you had to do that AND work out a way to tell me that our encounter resulted in Grace? I'm in no position to be angry about that."

"I tried to find out who you were. I contacted the center we used, but they refused. They said it was in the contracts we'd both signed that it be anonymous regardless of outcomes. But they did relent to say that if you went back to them they'd mention that I'd been looking for you and give you the option of contacting me."

"I never went back there. Actually, I never got a decent sized leave in New York since. Almost everywhere else but not there. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have gone back even if I did. Some of the boys, we went together for a laugh more than anything else. Just for some fun, I never thought…"

"About what can happen when an alpha knots an omega during heat and doesn't use a condom?" Danny kept his voice as low as possible so that Grace didn't hear. "Which is the one big thing I have not forgiven you for. It's one of the reasons I really enjoyed punching you when we first met."

"Hey, it takes two to tango."

"I was practically out of my mind in heat. The alpha is supposed to have more common sense."

"Well, alphas go into rut and go crazy when presented with an omega in heat, so excuse me for meeting you and wanting to bone you so much that I didn't want rubber in the way."

"Oh my God," Danny got in, mouth agape but then the sound of footsteps stopped them both and Grace came bounding into the kitchen. 

"I finished it," she announced with pride as she showed Danny her artwork. 

"This is really nice, sweetie. What is it?" he asked, supportive but unsure what the hell she'd drawn.

"It's my room."

He frowned at her. "But your room is that pale yellow color your mother liked. This is blue."

"Danno," she rolled her eyes in a Williams-esque trait. "Not that room. My new room here. Dad said I could make it any color I wanted."

"He- he said what? She- what room?"

"Her bedroom here," Steve answered for them and both Grace and Steve looked at Danny like he was missing the most obvious thing in the world. "And maybe if you're really nice to me, I'll let you do some re-decorating too." He winked at Grace and she giggled.

"Is lunch going to be ready soon? I'm starving."

"Sorry, kiddo. Danno distracted me. Give me fifteen minutes. Why don't you go back into the living room and make a list of all the things we're going to need to make this room a reality."

She happily skipped off again and Danny rubbed at his head. "What's going on? I'm so confused."

"Isn't it obvious? Grace needs a room to stay in when she's here so I promised her she could choose how she wanted it."

As Steve got up to continue making lunch, Danny leaned his elbows on the table. "Look. She's your daughter, and I'm not going to keep her from you, you have every right to see her. But she spends time with me and with Rachel and I'm worried that adding in yet another place is just going to be difficult to manage."

"That's exactly what we thought," Steve said, back to Danny. "It's bad enough for her having to keep track of what she has and where, making doubly sure she has her homework in the right place to take to school the next day, constantly trying to work out when she can spend time with her friends around her schedule. We talked about it at great length. That's why you're both going to be staying with me."

"Hold on. Both?" Danny tried to interrupt but was talked over. 

"It's going to be easier on her if you give up your place. That way she has a room here and a room with Rachel and she's still just got the two to go between. But down the line, we're really going to have to talk about this custody thing because she's my daughter and yours. She should be with us."

"Yes, but Rachel has been looking after Grace since before she was born. And she's an excellent mother and Grace loves her. There's no way I can just rip Rachel out of her life like that."

"You're right. I'm just saying… joint custody is one thing, but I think we can get a better deal. A judge will be more favorable now that Grace has her real father and a more stable home with us being together."

There was silence while Steve finished the last sandwich and put it on a plate. He turned and leaned back against the counter and looked at Danny who was still trying to reboot his brain. He wasn't sure what was happening. At all. He'd just come by to introduce Grace to Steve and get the ball rolling, what the hell had happened since?

He shook his head as it all caught up to him. "Are you trying to get me to move in with you?!"

"Trying? No, there's no need. I've always thought your apartment was a hovel, and with the Grace situation, everything makes sense. It's a foregone conclusion. What I'm doing is waiting for you to catch up to that fact."

"Just because you're an alpha does not mean-"

"This isn't an alpha thing," Steve pushed away from the counter and slowly moved closer. "It's a guilt trip thing. Grace wants it this way, in fact, it was her idea and if there's one thing I know about you, it's that you're a sucker for doing anything that little girl wants. So unless you want to break her heart, you're moving in here with me. End of." He patted Danny's shoulder and his hand stayed there as he called through to Grace that lunch would be ready in two minutes.

"Smug is not a good look on you," Danny told him as Steve began to lay the table around him. 

"Liar," Steve winked at him.


	3. Chapter 3

Danny was in a perpetual state of confusion over Steve's endgame. As everyone in their lives found out about Steve being Grace's father they all joined the bandwagon of having Danny and her living with Steve - even Rachel, which had been surprising to Danny but as much as the divorce had been difficult, they had been learning that the things that had made them work once upon a time were still there and supporting each other as friends was one of those things. 

Being told enough times that moving in with Steve was a good idea made Danny back down on his protestations though he still grumbled as they set about getting the two of them moved in. As he'd repeatedly told Kono: just because everyone thought it was a good idea, didn't mean it was. 

"Come on, brah. Maybe just take the hint?" she smiled at him. 

"What, the hint that I'm the only sane person on this Island?"

She simply laughed at him and continued hauling boxes. 

They got settled in reasonably quickly over a long weekend. Danny had been given the bedroom right next door to Steve's, though there had been pointed comments from the alpha over how useful the room could be as something else. 

"Well, you were the one who wanted me moving in so you don't get to complain when I do. Where the hell else am I meant to sleep if not in here?" he'd grumbled. 

"No, hey, it's okay. Whatever makes you comfortable. I'm just thinking about down the line."

"What down the line?" Danny screwed up his face.

Steve took a moment to just stare at Danny as if waiting for him to catch on. When he didn't he just answered. "Never mind."

It was like that a lot and only after the fact when Danny thought back to what Steve had said or how he'd looked did he consider that maybe Steve was angling for more from Danny. That he might have been saying he wanted Danny with him as his omega in a relationship. Perhaps Danny was just no good at flirting, maybe he was slow on the uptake, but during those conversations, he'd never felt any hint of something…. sexual. It just felt like 'banter', no different from anything else. That's why he felt so confused all the time.

He didn't like being confused, it left him feeling off-kilter, awkward. And the few times Steve or anyone else said something that was more explicit or innuendo filled he felt himself turn a beetroot shade of red and Steve would give him an over-indulgent smile like it was the best thing he could ever see.

The weeks passed and they began to settle into routines. They worked seamlessly around each other in the kitchen, they somehow settled into doing specific chores each and when they sat down at night on the couch there was always something in the DVR that they could all watch and enjoy as a… as a family. 

Grace had taken a liking to John McGarrett's old reclining chair and loved to crawl into it of an evening after dinner and homework, leaving Steve and Danny to sit on the couch together. Over those weeks, the two men had become more comfortable getting closer. Steve would throw an arm across the back of the sofa and Danny had somehow migrated across the couch to be under it. 

It was one of those things Danny took as proprietary where Steve was concerned; his unconscious alpha-ness kicking in, he never fully assumed it was something Steve did with only him. But he really should have. With this and everything else about them living together, Danny had barely even noticed how much of Steve's stink was all over him. And vice versa. 

Things got more difficult at work, with Steve finding out John's killer was still alive and that he was working for someone much more dangerous. Danny’s brother visited and caused chaos before breaking Danny’s heart with the trouble he’d got himself in. Chin's life got complicated with his suspension from the Force coming back into question and then Jenna Kaye had arrived, throwing Steve's life into more of a spin. 

When Danny missed the odd dose of suppressants because of how busy and stressed they were at work, it wasn't a big deal. One here, one there, it was fine. He'd just make sure to take the next as soon as he realized.

The night before an Op, he'd forgotten to take one. He remembered while standing outside the house they were going to raid hoping to capture Wo Fat. But then, no wait, he'd missed two maybe. Had he taken one the day before the one he knew he'd missed? Steve had been so intent on capturing Wo Fat, thinking this their best opportunity, that he'd kept the team so busy… 

Crap. He'd have to remember to take one as soon as he got back to the Camaro. It was a good job he kept a spare couple of doses in there for such occasions. It was something he'd learned to do after a really annoying stakeout back in Jersey - always keep spares of EVERYTHING in the car. It was while hunting for a dose once that he'd discovered Steve's stash of grenades. They both clearly had different priorities when it came to what they needed 'just in case'.

But everything had gone wrong. Wo Fat hadn't been there; it was Sang Min and when he'd run into a different house and Danny had followed… whammy.

Unable to breathe and overcome with some kind of sickness, Danny had collapsed to the ground with the ringing in his ear of Steve shouting his name. After that, there was nothing much until he was in a hospital recovery room and Steve brought Grace in from school to see him, the alpha having stayed as close to Danny as possible through the danger of the sarin poisoning. 

It was sweet and very much appreciated how Steve stayed to keep an eye on Danny, to take care of him, but the man was sweating himself and looking a little peaky. He had been reluctant to leave but Danny appealed to him to go help get the guys who did this to him (and to the poor dead man) and Steve had snapped to it.

Rachel had arrived to take care of Grace and to make sure Danny was okay. While the two of them were away raiding the nearest snack machine, the doctor spoke with Danny about how things were progressing with the treatment. And he was pleased to say everything looked good. Better than expected even but having run further tests on Danny's blood work they'd realized why. 

"You are currently on suppressants, correct?" the doctor asked. 

"Yes."

"Have you had any trouble with them? Any instances where you find they're not working well for you anymore?"

"No. They've always been fine. But lately, I missed a couple of doses. Work has been crazy and my mind has been elsewhere."

"How many have you missed?" the doctor asked, constantly writing away on Danny's notes.

"The last couple of days… and on and off the odd one before that."

"Well, that explains things," the doctor said, finally looking up at Danny again with a comforting smile. "Your heat cycle has activated. Likely it had been bubbling away in the background because of your missed doses, but after today's attack and its effects on your body, it's kicked in as part of your body's natural defenses."

"You're kidding me," Danny said, frustrated. Damnit, this was his own fault.

"The body has a remarkable defense system, especially amongst omegas who, while going into heat, have a heightened immune system. Everything inside you goes into overdrive to make sure you're fit and healthy for breeding. Perhaps if you hadn't been poisoned the heat cycle would have simmered away underneath and petered out when getting back on track with your suppressants, it's hard to tell, but now it's kicking in and you're going to want to make provisions for it with your partner. As much as you're going to be healthy enough to go home much sooner than expected, there's no way you'll be back at work for a couple more days."

"Brilliant, just brilliant," Danny fell back onto his pillow and scrubbed at his face. "I'm going to need to get out of here soon, right? Regular hospitals are no place to go through a heat."

"That's true. The smells will not be pleasant to your sensitive nose and it's not good for the other patients to be around a healthy, young omega like yourself. It would be difficult to keep the alphas in check. I'll get your paperwork sorted and you'll be on your way before dinner."

"Thanks, doc," Danny answered. On the plus side, no more hospital food, but heats were a pain in the, well…

Rachel took Grace home with her, with plans to keep her over what should have been Danny's weekend and promising they could swap the days around while Danny took care of himself. He was all set to go, sitting on the edge of the bed, feet swinging, when Steve arrived back to check on him. 

"Doc says you're- whoa," Steve said. 

Danny sniffed at himself. Was it that obvious already?

"You're going to need help tonight," Steve asked, though it wasn't really a question and more of a statement as he moved forward and pushed himself between Danny's knees and right into his personal space.

"I wasn't going to assume. Or ask, even. I can get through it alone if need be or I can look online for a decent place-" he was stopped by Steve's hand cupping his face and his low growl. 

"So this is why I've been on edge all day. I thought it was just the case, Wo Fat, you being wheeled in here at death's door this morning…" his gaze wandered everywhere on Danny's face as he held it still. His eyes fluttered and he took a breath in. "I remember this. Smells so good."

"Steve?" Danny asked, unsure. Steve's alpha senses shouldn't be kicking in that hard yet. If Danny was at that stage of attracting people, others should have been showing interest as well and no one had, not even the cute doctor who wandered past occasionally.

"We'll get home and get ready, okay?"

"Yeah," Danny answered before he'd even realized the words hand come out of his mouth. His hands were stroking over Steve's chest and he swallowed, hyper-aware of the alpha's presence and beginning to feel just how much he wanted to go through this with Steve. He remembered how good it had been the first time, fucking for hours on end. He wanted that again. The heat really was getting a grip on him as well. Whoa. Usually, alphas and omegas were bonded before having heats 'kick in' with them so instantly. 

But Danny didn't have time to dwell on such thoughts. Reason would go out the window in the next few hours and they needed to get home. 

*

The whole night was a whir of heat and skin and sweat and Steve knotting him up so tight and full that he practically purred with contentment. His memory was fuzzy of much beyond the peeling away of clothes, the heady smells around them and the bite of Steve's teeth on his neck and chest and ass. He wasn't even sure how many times they'd done it, how fevered the heat had been or how relentless the need for sex was. 

He knew there would be flashbacks, dreams and he knew memories would come back to him. Heat was like a very drunken night of sex and coming back to reality was the worst hangover imaginable. 

By morning and the break of the fever inside of him he just felt sticky and awkward. Incredibly sticky and he stunk of Steve and himself. 

Steve lay in bed, spread out on his back, sleeping with a smug grin on his face as Danny sat up and looked around them at the mess of the bed, the floor and the empty condom box lying amongst their discarded clothing.

He snuck out of the bed and headed for the shower. He took it long and leisurely, making sure to clean off everything, though he knew remnants of Steve's stink would remain on him for the next few days no matter how well he washed. Mating did that to couples. And he and Steve weren't even a couple but the body didn't know that when it used Steve to scratch an itch. 

Breakfast was awkward, with Steve reaching out only to second guess himself over what he should and shouldn't do. Danny recognized the need in the alpha to continue on in some way. After an alpha 'claimed' an omega and they went through a heat together, it was the alpha who needed the most time to recover themselves. It was that protective streak in them that needed to be appeased, the one that wanted to nest and curl up. 

Danny was aware enough of it to allow Steve something. Even if they weren't a true mated couple, he wasn't insensitive and Steve had done him a solid by having sex with him the night before. He allowed Steve to take control for the rest of the morning. Hell, Steve even opened the passenger door for Danny to get into the car on their way to work. 

The problem was how much the shit hit the fan shortly after.

Steve was on the run and the team was scrambling to do what they could to help him only to discover it wasn't enough. If they hadn't partnered for Danny's heat then maybe Steve wouldn't have acted so recklessly in a way of protecting Danny and the rest of the team and trying to finish everything to get back to them. But he was stupid and he broke into the Governor's mansion and the next thing Danny knew, he was trying to stop Chin from taking Steve to jail.

Both men tried to get to each other, tried to touch, tried to break away. Chin barely held Steve in check, pushing him into the police car and closing the door on him while a uniform had helped keep Danny back. Realizing why Steve was angered by that, Chin ordered the officer to let Danny go and he dealt with it himself. 

Danny was fully on Steve's side and couldn't understand why Chin wasn't. He promised Steve he'd get him out of this trouble. Grace needed her dad to come home.

But it was taking forever. 

The task force had been disbanded by the new Governor. Danny had told Chin not to come near him. Kono was in trouble too and with Steve behind bars, Danny had no idea how to fix things. 

He visited when he could. Steve seemed to care little for himself after a cursory conversation and instead spent their entire visiting hours asking after Grace. 

Then Danny got a phone call from some old friend of Steve's. He had no idea how Commander White knew Steve's predicament but Danny would take any help that was offered if it meant getting Steve home. He hadn't admitted it to the alpha, but since that night, since Steve had helped Danny through his heat, he hadn't gone back to sleeping in the spare room and had instead curled up every night in Steve's bed. It was one of the few comforts he had. Especially on the nights Grace was with Rachel and Danny was alone in the house.

Despite being angry at Steve's prison break, the day moved quickly and after making up with Chin and finding the exonerating evidence, Steve was finally coming home. They went to Rachel's place first and Steve got to spend some time with Grace, but both men told the young girl that they'd pick her up in the morning and bring her home then. Steve's paternal instincts, his alpha possessiveness all combined to want to bring her with them but they knew that he was injured and his time in prison weighed enough on him that they should take the night to settle him in before returning for her. 

Steve walked in and took a deep breath. The smells of the house and its occupants washing over him. He took a slow wander around the rooms as Danny put a few things away and tried to stay clear and let Steve reacclimatize. By the time Steve made it to his bedroom, he leaned on the doorframe and smiled back at Danny. 

"What?" the omega asked.

"You've been staying in here the whole time?" 

Danny sighed. He hadn't had time to come back and change the sheets so of course, his smell was still lingering and it had been long enough since their night together that it would have worn off if Danny hadn’t been in since then. There was no point in lying. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Why'd you do that?" Steve was trying to contain his smug thoughts but Danny was sure he could see through him. 

"It's where we left off. I dunno. Things were wrong when you were in jail. Being in there made things a little easier somehow."

"You missed me that much, huh?" the beaming wattage of Steve's smile could have lit up Honolulu for the night. 

"Grace came through some nights. It wasn't just me," Danny pointed out, though it made little difference to Steve’s elevated mood. 

"Are you planning on staying in here tonight or going back to your room?"

Danny cleared his throat, "I hadn't made up my mind yet."

"Well," Steve began. He took a moment then reached out for Danny's wrist and pulled him closer. "Maybe it's because I've been in solitary for the past few weeks. Maybe it's because I know what I want. Maybe I'm just finally acting like your alpha but I'm going to make the decision for you. You're staying in here with me."

"This is you putting your foot down?" Danny felt butterflies in his stomach surging happily despite his brain reminding him that he hated it when anyone went full alpha on him. 

"It's very down."

"Okay," Danny indulged. "Tonight we sleep together. No funny business," he held a finger up in warning. "But tomorrow I'm going back to my own room and we get back to normal."


	4. Chapter 4

He'd been feeling weird. For at least a couple of days but probably for longer. 

Things were fine at work. Kono had finally been able to come back to the team, they had Lori fully settled in and Joe White was still hanging around occasionally. So there were enough bodies at the office that Danny was okay to take extra time that morning after dropping Grace at school so he could go to the doctor. 

They ran a few tests, the doctor asked about everything that had happened lately. It seemed to Danny that he might be angling towards stress as some kind of diagnosis. Maybe he'd been so tired out that his immune system had packed in enough to allow him to catch a virus somewhere. 

But at the end of all the questions, and after Danny had sat waiting for results and read through at least three terrible, out of date magazines, the doctor checked his notes again then looked up at Danny. "The sarin poisoning triggered a flare-up in your heat. That was about two months ago, correct?"

"Something like that, yeah," Danny answered. I've been fine since. Until now."

"You've gone back on the suppressants?"

"That's normal. Right?"

"You're going to have to come off them. That's why you've struggled this last while. Your body is fighting against them."

"I've always been okay with them before. The only other time I had to change things up was when I-" he stopped when he realized what that other time was and the doctor watched Danny’s face, knowing the omega had caught on.

"The timing of your heat and your current symptoms raised the flag. Your blood work is consistent and I asked the lab to run the tests twice just in case. I believe congratulations are in order."

Danny hung his head, fingers grasping into the strands of his hair. "I'm going to kill him."

*

Danny stormed into headquarters, disrupting whatever the rest of Five-0 were discussing around the computer table. Without any hesitation, he marched up to Steve and before the smile could fully form on his face, Danny pulled his fist back and threw his weight behind it as the punch collided with Steve's cheek.

The alpha's head twisted to the side, but no one intervened on his behalf as Danny stood there almost shaking in rage.

"What the hell was that for?" Steve asked, frowning, holding himself back but now wary and ready to defend himself.

"That was for you being a colossal asshole. I am never going through a heat with you again. In fact, no more sex ever with you. Period. It's not worth the risk! And if I don't see you for another ten years, it'll be too soon," He shoved a letter at Steve's chest, hand staying there until Steve's reached to grab for the paper before letting go. He turned on his heel and marched towards his office where he hoped he wouldn't be disturbed as he tried to calm himself down from his very public meltdown.

Besides, the stress wasn't good for the baby.

He paced, door still ajar and able to hear what was being said outside the room as Chin asked what was in the letter, Steve scanning it quickly. "Oh my God," Steve's quiet voice said and Danny could hear the awe in it as he looked up at their friends, wide-eyed. "I'm going to be a father. I mean, I already am but... again."

There was shock but then hearty congratulations and Danny shook his head while he continued pacing and did a bad impression of the way Chin was acting so happy for them, using his hand to make talking motions. Kono took it upon herself to almost skip over to Danny's office in delight, pulling the door open despite him not wanting to talk about anything and dragging him out and into a hug. 

"Congratulations," she said in his ear.

Danny could see Steve approaching from over her shoulder and he pulled back, shoulders up and beginning to shrink into himself. "Keep him away from me," he ordered her. She may be an alpha but he still outranked her at work and could only hope that hierarchy would play in his favor now, but she just looked confused. 

Steve stopped moving and Joe cocked an eyebrow from where he was standing nearby. 

"You need to get that omega of yours under control, son," Joe said, humor in his voice but Danny was not in the mood. It stirred up everything inside Danny that was making him angry. He stalked closer to Joe but then strong arms trapped him from behind so he couldn't go any further. 

"Whoa. Danny, come on," Steve said to him. "What's going on with you? What's the matter?"

"This is the matter!" Danny ground out, finally getting free from Steve's grip and standing between him and Joe. He tipped his chin up as he looked at the career Navy man. "I am not _**his**_. I don't belong to anybody but myself," he warned him.

Joe's eyebrow rose again in amused incredulity. "Could have fooled me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Danny asked.

"You live together, work together... you've already got a pup and now another on the way... to be perfectly frank, you stink of each other. I think it's about time you gave in to the inevitable."

Danny put a hand over his stomach. "Just because Steve is a neanderthal who doesn't seem to know what the hell a condom is and managed to knock me up again, doesn't mean-" he cut off, listening to his own words. He could feel the color drain from his own cheeks just like in a cartoon. 

"Danny?" Steve asked, concerned, arms reaching in case he was needed. 

"Oh, shit. I'm having a baby. Fuck..." He sought out the computer table and leaned heavily on it, Steve's hand rubbing his back. 

"Well, not this instant, but yeah, we're having another baby." Steve seemed amused at how the news was hitting Danny, but the shock of it meant Danny wasn't ready to call him out on it. His mind was reeling, finally acknowledging the fact for what it was. He could be as pissed as he wanted at Steve for getting them into this, but now he had actually begun to consider that there was a new little pup growing inside him and it was just going to get bigger. And it would impact his career. Again. His life was going to change. Again. Pregnancy, having the baby, raising the baby... everything from dirty diapers to college funds and his head couldn't take it. 

"I'm pregnant..."

"Breathe, Danny."

"No, this isn't happening."

Steve took hold of Danny, turning him and pulling him into a tight hug, letting Danny's head fall onto his upper chest. "I'm right here, okay? This time, I'm not going to miss a thing."

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Danny said, like the beginning of a mantra as his thought process stuck on the fact that it shouldn't have come to this. That his heat was one thing but he knew Steve had used condoms. His mind was blurry over that night, like the most drunken night of sex ever, but he had enough of a memory of it to know Steve had been using condoms... had one broken or was there one time of the epic amount of sex they'd had where he hadn't used one and... one was enough?

"Danny," Steve pulled back enough to hold Danny's face in his hands and make sure to keep eye contact. "This is a good thing. Unexpected, yes, but really good."

"But we're not-" he said, cutting himself off from saying 'together' or any variation of it.

Steve answered, refuting him, but not in words. He kept his hands on Danny's face and leaned in, kissing him soundly, making his intentions clear. Danny stumbled a little, taking a step back but Steve stayed with him until the kiss ended - the first kiss they'd ever shared outside of one of the two heat cycles they'd spent together.

There was silence around him. Everyone was holding their breath, watching without blinking as something new unfolded. Or was it just something that had been there all along and only now was being acknowledged. 

"I'm not waiting another decade. Hell, I'm done waiting."

“Waiting for-?" Danny seemed to trip over the words. What little breath that was still in his lungs failing him. 

"You. To realize we're already a family. And you're my omega. And I'm your alpha."

"Oh god," Danny pulled away and stalked back into his office. He didn't close the door, he just stood there facing his desk and feeling at a complete loss as to what to think. He had one hand on his stomach, rubbing idly at where he imagined the tiny growing baby was.

He heard his door close and he knew Steve was behind him.

"I've given you time to think things over and get used to the idea. As far as I can see, you're just as ready and tired of waiting as I am." He turned Danny around to face him. "I don't know why we've waited as long as we have."

It was strange. Maybe Danny had been denying the obvious for so long that it had somehow become his truth but looking at Steve now, hearing him say the words… Danny felt relief. It washed over him and he smiled. He knew the alpha was right and he couldn't deny it, even if he could come up with a million reasons why it was a bad idea that they be together. 

Besides. Steve was Grace's father and the father of the next child they were going to have. They lived together and worked together and there was no denying how important they were to one another. 

He leaned in and kissed Steve. He intended the touch to be light but Steve took over, alpha side in full force as he pressed back with his whole body. He bracketed Danny into the desk and kissed him as if their lives depended on it. Danny's impressions of kissing Steve were of the hormonal rush of heat and rut and those had been intense but this was vivid and memorable.

Steve pressed his forehead to Danny's. "Finally," he breathed out as they lingered in the moment. "Do me a favor?" he asked with his eyes still hooded. 

"What?"

"Indulge your alpha as I lay down the law and tell you that you are moving out of the spare room and back into mine. Permanently."

Danny stroked a hand down Steve's chest. "Consider yourself indulged." Then his hand tightened to grasp into Steve's t-shirt. "Oh my God, we're having a baby."

*

“I got Steve!” Danny yelled to everyone before climbing up into the back of the truck. The stunned face of his alpha was a welcome sight.

“Danny?” Steve asked in shock as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Danny crouched by his partner and untied the bindings at his wrists. “It’s okay, we’ve got you.”

“You’re here? What the hell!?” Steve asked but grabbed Danny into a hug the minute he could. He held tightly around Danny’s shoulders but then loosened his hold so he could slide down Danny’s body to the round belly and his voice softened. “Hey, Mini D, it’s your dad. I’m right here. Everything’s fine,” he murmured before kissing the t-shirt clad bump.

Joe and Chin appeared at the back of the truck. “Come on, boys. We’ve got to get out of here,” Joe told them and everyone hustled back to the helicopter before being whisked away. Steve couldn’t help but smile as Chin broke the news to everyone that he and Malia were going to be mated. He knew the joy of being part of a mated pair and was happy for his friend despite the jokes Danny might make about it.

The reactionary, jovial atmosphere between them all at the successful rescue didn’t last once they were safe in South Korea and at the hotel they’d be in overnight before returning to the States the next morning. 

“What were you thinking?!” Steve yelled at Danny. “You’re seven months pregnant and you flew out here! It was reckless and stupid and too dangerous and trust me, I am _**definitely __**_going to be having words with the others for allowing you to come, putting a rifle in your hands and making you a target for terrorists!”

“I didn’t give them a choice! Okay!? I was coming along no matter what. The stress of everything after Jenna called me... you have no idea how it felt. I had to be here, and the others understood how determined I was. How do you think I would have felt if you’d died out here and I wasn’t around, huh? If I could have done something to save you?!”

“And how would I have felt if you’d been killed out here!?” Steve shot back. “What did you think you could have done that the others couldn’t? Hell, being pregnant like you are, that’s a hindrance to how fast they could move or a distraction as they protected you. Did you think of that?! It could have put everyone in even more danger!”

Danny huffed, angry but running out of steam, running out of biting comments to throw back in their argument. “I had to be here,” he mumbled. He’d known the risks, known it was stupid. But that one overriding thought wouldn’t let him rest and it made him get on that plane, and then onto the world’s most dangerous helicopter. He had no idea how strong the tie was between him and Steve but he sure knew about it now. Trust him to cotton on during a real life or death situation. “I love you. _So much_. Maybe too much, I don’t know. But you're my alpha and I couldn’t do anything else but come here after you. Grace and our new pup, they need you. Need you alive. _**I**_ need you alive and... wrapped around me.”

Steve softened, shoulders slumping. He pulled Danny in close and pressed kisses to his forehead. “I get it. I do. I’m sorry. I should never have come here at this stage in the pregnancy. It was a bigger risk than I realized. I’m not leaving you again, even if the President himself ordered me.”

*

Steve was true to his word and although it was endearing at first, eventually Danny had to yell at him to back off. But the shit show that was the ‘trip’ to North Korea just heightened what both had been feeling. What they’d maybe been holding back on all this time. True, they'd become a mated pair once the new pregnancy was discovered, they'd had amazing sex that wasn't a result of rampant hormones and their lives were fully intertwined between home and work and everything else. But the deep level of connection between them seemed to be something they continued to discover. 

Steve was in a nesting phase. The house was being prepared for a new arrival. The spare room was being turned into a nursery, which made Steve smug again since he was right that it was a room put to better use than for Danny to live in while in denial about their relationship.

The hospital waiting room was jam-packed with well-wishers and Steve was getting his hand practically ripped from his body at the force in which Danny clutched it as he pushed and screamed and blamed Steve for everything in his life; good or bad.

Tiny cries pierced the air and the small bundle was placed in Danny’s arms and suddenly all was right with the world as they counted ten fingers and ten toes. They had known the sex in advance and had a name all picked out, though they hadn’t referred to Danny’s bump as anything but pet names the entire time, not wanting to jinx anything.

“Hey Charlie,” Danny cooed at his baby boy. “Welcome to the world.”

“He’s perfect, Danno,” Steve looked at their whimpering pup in the softest way Danny had ever seen.

Danny smiled up at Steve, knowing he looked a mess after just delivering their second child but knowing Steve still looked at him like he was beautiful. “Not bad for a one night stand ten years ago.”

“And maybe it’ll grow bigger in the future.”

Danny raised an eyebrow. “You seriously think that now is the time to consider a third kid? I’ve got news for you, pal, I am not the barefoot and pregnant type of omega.”

“I know,” Steve told him. “But you were sexy as hell carrying my pup. Makes me sad I missed it the first time around.” He ran a finger softly down Charlie’s face. “He’s got your nose.”

“That’s only fair since Grace has yours.”

"I"m just saying, you could stay off the suppressants and-"

"Shut up," Danny shook his head but the smile still plastered to his face took the sting out of his words. "Let's just worry about this little one and Grace for a while, huh? And there's plenty of other things in our lives that need our attention, like this Shelbourne thing. What we need is to take some time and settle in before any decisions are made about the future."

"I've got you and two perfect kids. We can handle anything."

"You better not have just jinxed us," Danny warned as Steve indulged by pressing a long kiss to his lips.

"There's no such thing," Steve said. "I'm going to go get Grace, let her meet her new baby brother."

As Steve left, Danny looked down at the baby in his arms and whispered. "He just jixed us. Yes, he did. Who's father is a complete putz? Yours, that's whose..."


End file.
